“No, my king,” Aberdeen replied. “But Master Caleb and Justin have a knack for risking their safety. Maybe if you finally settled down with someone, the boys would start to behave themselves.” The room was silent before Aberdeen said, “Or shall I call him Mistress Justin?” The man’s tone wasn’t friendly.
Mistress Justin? What did that mean? Justin curled his hands into fists as his anger mounted. Why on earth would Aberdeen refer to him as a female? Justin wanted to sock the man in his nose. It was bad enough being taunted in school and his foster homes for looking so feminine. Justin couldn’t help his androgynous appearance but thought the people at Frost Manor accepted him for who he was.
I knew I didn’t like Aberdeen for a reason.
Now he knew why. Now Justin knew how Aberdeen felt about him. Was that why Demetri treating Justin differently? Did the guy look at Justin like a daughter? Justin was horrified at the thought. What if Demetri did? What if his affections were based on the idea that Justin resembled a frail female?
Justin felt as if the wind was knocked out of his lungs. If that were the case, he would leave here and never return. He couldn’t live with the idea that Demetri viewed him that way. How had he not seen this before?
“He’s still so young,” Demetri commented.
Someone made a grunting noise, and somehow Justin knew it was Aberdeen. “You’re thinking of taking him to your bed?” Aberdeen asked, and Justin could hear the anger in the man’s tone. “Maybe you should consider someone with a little more experience who can help shape and guide the two young men.”
Who was Aberdeen talking about? The thought of Demetri having anyone in his bed made Justin’s stomach curdle. He bit roughly on his lower lip to stop himself shouting his protests. He wasn’t even supposed to be down here, let alone listening in on the conversation. Nonetheless, Justin couldn’t stop the tears from prickling his eyes. If the older man was going to sleep with someone and make that someone his permanent partner, Justin needed to get over the guy.
Who had he been fooling? Himself. That’s who. Although in the back of his mind he knew that Demetri was a man with sexual needs, Justin tried to never think about that. But now it was slapping him in the face. Using the palm of his good hand, Justin wiped away the falling tears.
Devastated. That’s what Justin was. He didn’t want to stay at Frost Manor knowing that Demetri had a lover in his bed. Come morning, Justin would make his way home. He twirled around to go back upstairs, to escape what he didn’t want to face, when he became lightheaded.
Not now! But his illness decided to show itself. Justin dropped to all fours, crying out as pain shot up his casted arm. He rolled to his back as his body became a living and breathing furnace. He hated the fact that he was sick but worried because these episodes were happening more frequently.
The study door swung open, and Demetri stared down at him, his eyes wide. “Justin?”
Justin lay there in a pool of his own sweat as he began to shiver. He wanted to beg Demetri not to take anyone to his bed, but his teeth were chattering so violently that he feared he would crack them.
Demetri sank to his haunches and scooped Justin from the floor. “You’re burning up.” The man moved swiftly upstairs and took Justin back into the room he’d woken up in. Aberdeen was moving ahead of Demetri, heading straight for the bathroom. Or what Justin assumed was the bathroom.
Demetri’s jaw was set in determination as he stepped into the bathroom. Aberdeen was already running the water in the tub. Justin should have been mortified when both men worked to strip his clothing away, leaving him naked in Demetri’s arms, but he was too out of it to care.
I’ll care tomorrow when I don’t feel as if my body is going to go up in flames. I’ll care tomorrow about Demetri taking a lover. I’ll care tomorrow that my hearts feels as if it’s being torn in two.
“What’s going on?” Caleb asked as he entered the bathroom.
Great, an audience. That was just what Justin needed. Could his mortification grow any deeper? Maybe they could call Wulf up there to make this little shindig complete.
“He’s fevered,” Aberdeen answered as Demetri slowly lowered Justin into the cool water. Justin cried out at the shock against his body and fought to get out of the tub, but Demetri had a firm hold on him.
“We have to break your fever, pup,” Demetri said softly to Justin as the older man sank his hand into the water and then poured the cool liquid over Justin’s chest and neck. He had just enough sense left in him to keep his cast dry. “I have you.” Demetri ran his wet hand over Justin’s hair.
Justin shook violently, and everything else became a blur before his vision faded. But before he passed out, Justin gazed up at Demetri and swore he saw the man’s amber eyes glowing.